NFL great Aaron Rodgers is the new Zenith brand ambassador for the U . S .
WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES TO MAKING THE NEW CHRONOMASTER SPORT ?
We wanted to keep the identity of the Caliber 400 very clear . I also told Romain that I want it to be most comfortable watch available in the industry .
I still believe that is very important to put any watch on your wrist to see how it feels . I am too often disappointed by the way certain watches feel on your wrist . This new watch is smooth as silk . It is super easy to wear .
I wanted a very simple way to measure the one-tenth of a second . And with one of the very first samples , l took it home and gave it to my ten-year-old son . And he looked at it and he could explain how it worked . I wanted this watch to be that easy to read . On many watches it is easy to get lost , especially if you ’ re not familiar with watches .
Of course , here we have a counter for the seconds , a counter for the minutes , and the one at 9 o ’ clock for the small seconds .
CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT OTHER 2021 ZENITH DEBUTS ?
Our new brown-dialed A 385 Revival watch is also quite interesting . We have done some research , and it seems that this original watch in 1969 is the first gradient type dial . When we launch the A384 Revival in August 2019 it became immediately a bestseller , in part because of its original 37mm size .
You might remember that ten or twelve years earlier we had lunched this in a larger size ( 42mm ) which I thought lost the proportions of that original . At 37mm you get perfect proportions .
WILL WE SEE ADDITIONAL SPORTS WATCHES FROM ZENITH ?
Yes of course . Overall , we have a Revival , the soon-to-be released Classic , and then the Sport . This is a very clear organization within the Chronomaster collection . There ’ ll be additional sport variations .
HOW DID YOU CHOOSE THE NEWEST ZENITH AMBASSADOR AARON RODGERS ?
In 2019 I went to the United States several times to meet various possible ambassadors . I was in search of someone who we represent the philosophy of time to reach your stars for the Zenith . And I didn ’ t want a celebrity who would just show up on the red carpet with the watch . I wanted someone who could talk about his or her story and who could explain what kind of a star he or she has been following over the years to reach an objective . We have done this in China and Japan , and in Europe .
It ’ s more about the personality . I met actors and singers and other sports celebrities , but when I met Aaron Rodgers I thought he was just a great guy . He ’ s a good spirit . Nothing to prove anymore .
CAN YOU PREVIEW ANY ADDITIONAL WATCHES FOR 2021 FROM ZENITH ?
We will have the third category of the Chronomaster collection . This will be about elegance , thin , an A386 spirit , because Chronomaster would not be complete without that particular offering as well . Also look for a new Defy . That will be an amazing watch also . For the United States that will be a big one .
And of course we do not forget high complications within the Defy collection . This year we will present some of our iconic high complications – and in a crazy material . This will be in a very small edition and it will include an experience that I can almost guarantee none of the future owners have done in their lives . It will allow him to really feel what a high complication is in real life .
WILL WE SEE NEW WATCHES FOR WOMEN ?
I don ’ t like to talk about women ’ s watches particularly at Zenith because we focus on making beautiful , authentic watches with our own movements with our own philosophy , and then make them beautiful .
We don ’ t really separate them as men ’ s watches or women ’ s watches . I think we make beautiful watches that can be worn by men and by women . Diamonds are used sometimes yes , and in some parts of the world diamonds are very popular among men , and in some others less . If you look at the Chronomaster Sport , it is a typical 41mm watch that can be worn buy a man or woman .
At Zenith we like to live in a balanced way between the past , present and the future . Between tradition and innovation . And it is clear that we are gaining market share in terms of vintage . You just need to follow the recent auctions . We have launched the Zenith Icons program to great success . But of course Chrono masters sport is bringing a contemporary dynamic into the crying of Master collection . This will live perfectly alongside the vintage , or Revival , collection , as well as the more classic directions that you will soon discover .
88 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | FALL 2021